Synopsis
Summer of 1980. For disciplinary reasons, a doctor is transferred to a small town in the German Democratic Republic. From there, with the help of her lover on the other side of the wall, she plans her escape to the West. Christian Petzold won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale with this restrained drama about surveillance, mistrust, and the moral dilemmas of its protagonists.
Filmmaker
Christian Petzold
His filmography is a portrait of contemporary Europe that takes the form of melodrama, fantastical fable, or sociopolitical narrative. His cinema, a direct heir to the Berlin School, is characterized by precise and austere mise-en-scène, and by characters often trapped in spaces of transition. A prolific filmmaker, selected and awarded at festivals such as Berlin, Venice, and San Sebastián, that has established himself as one of the essential voices of contemporary European cinema.
Filmography: Mirrors No. 3 (2025, D'A 2026), Afire (2023, D'A 2026), Undine (2020, D'A 2026), Transit (2018, D'A 2026), Phoenix (2014, D'A 2026), Barbara (2012, D'A 2026), Jerichow (2008, D'A 2026), Yella (2007, D'A 2026), Ghosts (2005, D'A 2026), Wolfsburg (2003, D'A 2026), The State I Am In (2000, D'A 2026), Das warme Geld (mid-length, 1992), Ostwärts (short, 1991), Süden (short, 1990)
Awards and festivals
Silver Bear for Best Director
KARLOVY VARY FILM FESTIVAL
REYKJAVIK FILM FESTIVAL
NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL
SÃO PAULO FILM FESTIVAL
PALM SPRINGS FILM FESTIVAL
URUGUAY FILM FESTIVAL
SEMINCI VALLADOLID FILM FESTIVAL
GERMAN FILM AWARDS
Silver for Second Best Film
Poster
